By Analiese Mione

But I love my car. I have heard that refrain so many times when speaking to everyday people about driving electric. Now you can keep the car you love and nix the emissions and costly maintenance with an ICE to EV conversion.

ICE to EV Conversions

This is neither a simple nor inexpensive operation, at least not yet. A visit to Inductive Autoworks in Tolland, CT to attend a VIP tour of their new EV conversion facility provided a wide eyed, in depth look at what’s involved. Dive into the video below for a quick overview and read more below about how Inductive Autoworks is bringing EV technology into the mainstream.

Appearing right to left in the video below are Jonathan Untied, co-founder, President and Chief Software Engineer; co-founder, Lead Electrical Engineer Dennis Manning, and co-founder, Lead Mechanical Engineer Joe Monasky.

Strip Out the Engine

Step 1 is to remove the gas engine, gas tank and clutch, if it has one. Inductive Autoworks’ triumvirate of founding engineers said this is the easy part and their shop does it fairly quickly.

Put in a Motor, Battery and other EV Conversion Components

Step 2, better yet phase 2, is to add all the EV components and connect them. EV conversions are custom engineered, take time and cost more than you’d think. Think of all the parts of an EV that don’t exist in an ICE vehicle. All these need to be added including an electric motor, battery to charge the motor, on board charger, charging port, and battery management system. Learn more about batteries and other EV conversion components, and how to get them talking to one another, in the photos above and videos below.

Want to take a deeper dive into all the critical EV parts and how the Inductive Autoworks team collaborates to design, create and install them so you can drive your favorite car as an EV? Watch the beginning of the video below from fellow EV Club of CT member Paul Braren who attended their pm open house. Watch the whole video to visit each display station including the CNC and converted EV.

But for the classic car lover in particular, conversions are THE solution to keeping the car running in an environmentally friendly way. For the ROI types among us, factor into your spreadsheet the cost savings from not maintaining a combustion engine (who loves ordering rare and expensive parts from Germany?), switching to electric vs gas (50%+savings), and the priceless improvement in performance. We do want to see your analysis! For now, there is no word on whether CHEAPR incentives will apply to conversions.

Building an EV Conversion Brain Trust

Wondering about car insurance for a conversion? We are too, so more on that coming soon, but rest assured Inductive has registered and insured converted vehicles like the Mazda RX-8 below. Each time Inductive does a custom conversion for a particular ICE make and model, like the Mazda RX-8, the design and fabrication specs gets stored in a module they can reuse to convert another vehicle at a much lower cost.

Custom Machined Parts

Custom parts are designed on a computer and fabricated in house on the CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine, thereby ensuring accuracy and consistency while ruling out human inefficiency and error. The next time they have to machine the same part, they call up the design and reuse it at marginal expense to the customer.

Watch the video below to learn about their protyping, testing at the test bench, get a closeup of the Mazda RX-8 conversion and test Leaf used to evaluate how they can swap out spent batteries for new ones. The tricky part is getting the car to accept the new part, and that’s a software problem. Good thing they have a software engineer on the team.

Driving the Evolution to EVs

The team is also working towards offering kit conversions for DIYers, but this is an evolution. If you’re looking to get a new battery for your spent 2012 Nissan Leaf for example, reach out because battery replacements are part of the evolving EV ecosystem they’re building. And yes, old batteries will be used for stationary storage.

Interested in an EV conversion or other EV services? Reach out to Inductive Autoworks at inquiry@inductiveauto.com or +1 860-222-0915 and let them know the EV Club of CT sent you.

Post by Analiese Paik and Barry Kresch

EVs Are Essential to Mitigating the Climate Crisis

We’re in a climate crisis and each of us should be taking action, regardless of state and federal policy. Driving electric has become a no brainer now that new models are out with longer-range batteries in styles and sizes that fit varying consumer needs. The Rivian R1T pictured above is a luxury adventure pickup with an optional camp kitchen with an induction cooktop that tucks away in a gear tunnel.

If Congress passes the Clean Energy for America bill, or folds it into other legislation, EV buyers could enjoy up to $12,500 in tax incentives/rebates on qualified vehicles until fully 50% of the cars on the road are electric. Currently the full $7,500 tax credit is still available to all-electric car (BEV) buyers as long as they aren’t buying a GM or Tesla vehicle (they met their 200,000 vehicle quota). Connecticut also provides a cash rebate for certain EVs, both new and used, but the parameters are always changing (read more here).

Create Zero Tailpipe Emissions

A battery electric vehicle is a zero-emissions vehicle. If we are to mitigate climate change, it is imperative to electrify transportation which currently accounts for 38% of statewide greenhouse gas emissions in the form of carbon dioxide and methane. The state has set a goal for itself of 500,000 registered EVs by 2030. We are less than 3% of the way there. Zooming out, the bigger transportation picture includes mass transit, active transport, and medium/heavy duty vehicles.  Every year, we see rising temperatures, as evidenced by heat waves, more severe hurricanes, drought, and wildfires. This is climate change made manifest. We can’t afford to be complacent. The time for rapidly transitioning to a zero emissions transportation system is now.

Improve Public Health

CO2 and, methane aren’t the only pollutantants emitted from vehicle exhaust. There is particulate matter (pm) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) to name two. NOx + volatile organic compounds + sunlight = ozone, the main ingredient in smog. The American Lung Association gives every county in Connecticut a grade of F for ground-level ozone. Smog and particulate matter are major contributors to cardio-pulmonary disease and cancer, and is a risk for pregnant women. Imagine the positive health impacts on communities near major transit lines no longer subjected to the nois a risk for pregnante, NOx and pm from road traffic. Has anyone quantified the positive impact on real estate values as roadway noise, pollution and climate damage goes away?

Save Money

While an electric vehicle can be more expensive to acquire, the cost of owning one is significantly less than an internal combustion engine (ICE) car according to Consumer Reports. Not only is it less expensive to power a vehicle on electricity, but EVs also need much less maintenance. The bottom line is that it’s half as expensive to drive an electric than an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle because of the fuel and maintenance savings. And the time you save could make it even cheaper. So can free charging.

While there is variation among EVs in terms of efficiency and electricity rates, a reasonable benchmark is a cost of 5 cents per mile to operate an EV. By contrast, if an ICE vehicle gets 20 MPG and gasoline costs $3 per gallon, the operating cost is 15 cents per mile. And there are federal, state purchase incentives that can reduce or eliminate the differential in the EV acquisition cost. There are also forthcoming utility incentives that will lower the cost of charging.

Aside from the fuel costs, there are lower maintenance costs.  With approximately 90% fewer moving parts in an electric vehicle relative to an ICE vehicle, there is simply less to maintain and fewer things to break. An EV has no spark plugs, catalytic converter, alternator, transmission, timing belt, water pump, and doesn’t need oil changes to name a few examples. A recent analysis conducted by EV Club of CT President Barry Kresch shows tens of thousands of dollars savings accruing to the Town of Westport after the PD opted for a fully-outfilled Tesla Model 3 squad car rather than a Ford Explorer (gas powered ICE).

Drive More Efficiently

Regenerative braking, where the engine slows the car and recaptures some of the kinetic energy to store in the battery, means there is less wear on the friction brakes and the energy isn’t wasted and converted to heat lost in the atmosphere. It is not uncommon to go 70,000 or more miles before brakes need to be serviced on an EV.

Enjoy Reliability

Fewer things to break means fewer trips to the repair shop, less downtime, less inconvenience and more peace of mind. No oil changes saves a quarterly visit to the service department and avoids the time and hassle. A great strategy for someone with a daily commute of 60 miles or less would be to purchase a used EV that still has good battery life, charge it at home and use it as the daily driver. The state of CT’s CHEAPR program now offers cash rebates to qualified buyers of used EVs. If you find DEEP’s website confusing, join us on July 27, 2021 where we’ll explain it in consumer-friendly English during our free webinar, How to Save Money on an EV.

Have More Fun Driving

EVs have instantaneous torque. Hit the accelerator and the electric motors immediately respond. This is why performance EVs can outgun the high-performance ICE vehicles. On Connecticut roadways, especially congested highway and parkway entrance and exit ramps, the instant speed means you can maneuver that much more quickly and safely. EVs come with advanced safety and drive assist features that make your drive on our busy roadways safer. Bumper to bumper traffic? Turn on autopilot, keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, but give your outstretched legs a break and let the car do the start and stops for you. Your daily commute just more relaxed.

Save Time

You’ll never have to go to a gas station again for fuel. That means no time taken out of your schedule to gas up or wait for an oil change or more complicated maintenance or repair. Most EV owners charge their vehicles at home at night and love the convenience. When you get up to go to work, you have a full “tank.” When you’re away from home, some EV chargers even let you charge at no cost. Your town likely has at least one free charger. Look for them near libraries and town halls; schools can be tricky, especially when in session. Join us on July 27 to learn more free charging hacks.

Promote Energy Security

EVs go hand in hand with decarbonizing the grid and rapidly advancing the shift to all-electric homes and a distributed energy network.  NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) is developing and evaluating fully integrated systems that connect electric vehicles (EVs), transportation infrastructure, power grids, buildings, and renewable energy sources.

We can produce the electricity we need from domestic renewables like solar and wind. If you have solar panels on your home, even better (consider adding battery storage for resiliency). The CT grid is moderately clean at present, mainly because the state gets 38% of its electricity from nuclear and almost none from coal; the great preponderance is from natural gas (sigh). There is a mandate for 30.5% of electricity in 2021 to come from renewables, though the state is falling short of that. However, in recent years, the legislature has authorized offshore wind and stationary storage projects, and there has been approval of some community solar. Even if you do not have solar on your roof, you can choose a supplier that generates its energy from renewables at EnergizeCT.

Support Domestic Green Jobs

Green jobs are new economy jobs that are critical to rapidly transitioning the US and world to a sustainable future while growing and creating well-paying, in-demand, skilled jobs (many unionized) in STEM, EV manufacture, EV charging infrastructure, energy storage, solar systems, wind turbines, and all manner of R&D, manufacture, service, maintenance and repair. Ohio’s Mahoning Valley is home to a “fledgling electric vehicle manufacturing cluster” that is supported by the government, industry, unions, schools and universties working in concert with one another to ensure workforce training matches job creation. Read about this exciting workforce development plan and and growing EV industry in Ohio here. Now imagine if we had that in Connecticut.

The EV Club of CT meets online monthly and all drivers are welcome, as are EV-interested. Please comment below or send us your inquiries.

Dealers Pressure Plug In America to Back Away From Direct Sales

Plug In America (PIA) has up until now played an important advocacy role in the effort to pass SB 127 in Connecticut and similar direct sales laws in other states. They acted as a clearinghouse for a lot of information from economists, academics and others that supported our arguments for EV Freedom, and did a lot of coordinating between the numerous parties involved, including the EV Club, manufacturers, environmental organizations, lobbyists, among others.

As of now, however, the coordination Zooms have stopped and the content has been removed from the PIA website. We had copies of some of the content, and what we have is now posted on the EV Club website.

PIA has a business called PlugStar. It is a training program to help dealerships become more effective at selling EVs. The dealers pay for this and it is a meaningful revenue stream for PIA. The dealers threatened to terminate their arrangements with PlugStar unless PIA stopped supporting direct sales. The board of PIA has caved and directed that the ongoing advocacy efforts in this area cease. This is not just a CT thing.

Needless to say, those of us in the EV community were gobsmacked by this “pulling the rug out from under” move at a critical time. And we’re surprised the organization doesn’t have bylaws in place to provide separation and deal with what seems an obvious potential for conflict. We blame PIA for compromising their principles, but, of course, it was the dealers that put them in this position. They show their colors that competition is good for everyone except themselves.

This is from the PIA website:

Plug In America is a non-profit, supporter-driven advocacy group. We are the voice of plug-in vehicle drivers across the country.

It is clear that the position they are taking runs counter to their mission and that they have now become the voice of entrenched interests blocking progress.

Our club would like to see dealers up their game when it comes to selling EVs, but we don’t agree with the franchise laws being used to stifle competition. The majority of EV sales, both nationally and in CT, are from direct sales.

To the extent that club members and readers of this blog donate to PIA, we recommend sending those funds to other organizations instead. You can find a long list of worthy options in the CT Electric Vehicle Coalition.

The EV Club has also filed a Freedom on Information Act Request to obtain the relevant backup documents underlying the decision.

Rivian mobilizes reservation holders for support

For those holding reservations for an electric pickup truck or SUV from new EV-exclusive manufacturer Rivian, where and how they will get possession of their vehicle when deliveries begin later this year remains unknown. Like Tesla, they are going the direct sales route. Unlike Tesla, they are just getting started and running the direct sales gauntlet in many states across the country. The issue is once again before the legislature in CT. This club supports it (SB 127). Below is the text of the letter sent by Rivian:

SB 127 – Permit EV Exclusive Manufacturers to Sell Direct in CT

A virtual public hearing was held yesterday by the legislature for this bill. Both written and oral comments were solicited.

Of the 76 written comments and a full day of Zoom testimony, every consumer that testified was in favor of passing this bill. Not really a surprise that consumers support a consumer-friendly bill. It is still opposed by dealerships and the OEMs. Nothing has changed.

It is difficult to read the tea leaves regarding the impact of testimony, pro or con. The bill has to pass a committee vote and then be called for a vote in both chambers. We are encouraged by the large number of comments submitted and the support we are receiving.

Judging by the response in the testimony, constituents are sending a message: protecting the environment is important and consumer choice is important, more important than protecting outdated laws.

Special thanks to Senator Haskell and Representative Steinberg who submitted the bill, as well as Representatives Wood and Michel who came on board as co-sponsors.

This is a link to the full (7.5 hours) video which is posted to the Transportation Committee’s YouTube Channel.

Some relevant time-stamps:

Tesla – 1:29:58

Lucid – 5:13:56

Rivian – 6:39:27

Senator Will Haskell (bill sponsor) – 2:30:19

Mike Liebow (Tesla Owners Club) – 5:30:46 – And check out his pointed comments here

Leadership of EV Club CT:

Analiese Paik – 5:35:42

Paul Braren – 6:52:13

Barry Kresch – 7:10:40

Beats Netflix!

Thanks to all who were involved in this effort. And let’s keep at it.

Paul Braren also wrote a detailed and thoughtful piece on his blog.

Coronavirus has given us clean air. EVs could, too.

The photo above is from PurpleAir, which is a WiFi-connected, networked, sensor. The date is April 11, 2020. Individuals can buy these and the results are collectively monitored in real-time. Users have the ability to use an app to drill into the data to isolate specific geography. See all those green dots? That never happens in Fairfield County, the part of the state with the worst air pollution. It could, though. This is what an EV world (along with mass transit and bikeways) could be like.

And maybe it will be. An article in Elektrek reports that a study shows consumer intent to purchase EVs is on the rise as a result of this breath of fresh air we have been experiencing. The short-term outlook for EVs is bleak with a recessionary economy and low gas prices, but it would be a silver lining if this served to wake people up to what is possible.

This is a PurpleAir screenshot from 2018. Any value over 25 is, to some degree, unhealthy. Yellow is bad. Orange is very bad.

NASA has also published images, in this case before and after for the Northeast, showing the impact of the coronavirus social distancing measures yielding a 30% decline in nitrogen dioxide. A picture really is worth a thousand words.

According to ABC News, a study conducted by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that “people with COVID-19 who live in areas with high air pollution levels are more likely to die than those who live in less polluted regions.” The study reported that  “a small increase — one microgram per cubic meter — in long-term exposure to particulate matter leads to a 15% increase in the COVID-19 death rate.” They caution that findings are preliminary. It certainly makes intuitive sense.

As reported in the LA Times about a recent clean-air day in California, “If I could wave my magic wand and we all had electric cars tomorrow, I think this is what the air would look like,” said Ronald Cohen, a professor of atmospheric chemistry at UC Berkeley who has been studying the effects of the stay-at-home orders on air quality.

Coronavirus is a high price to pay to experience cleaner air. With the expanded use of EVs, we can keep it that way.

As in charging your EV for free!

As reported in Elecktrek, the charging station company, Volta, announced the upcoming installation of 150 level 3 DC fast-charging stations nationally with no fee-charging for the first 30 minutes (equates to roughly 175 miles). The first of these will be local, in Norwalk, CT, at the new mall that we’ve all seen under construction near as we’re sitting in traffic near exit 15 of I-95.

The mall is called The SoNo Collection and the scheduled opening is October 9th. So by the time you see this blog post, it should be ready to go.

Volta uses the CCS standard.

The article that we’ve linked to has all of the details, but we think it’s pretty cool that free EV charging is being used by businesses to attract customers. Also, the charging stations carry advertisements, and from their website, we see that media sales revenue is part of the company’s business model.

Their slogan, as can be seen in the photo above, is “Fast is Now Free.”

EV Showcase at Fairfield Farmers Market

The EV Club of CT is pleased to showcase 6 electric vehicles at the July 14 Fairfield Farmers Market at the Sherman Green in Fairfield. Please shop the market and visit us at the showcase in the parking lot behind the market from 10 am until 2 pm to check out the cars and discuss all things EV. This event is designed to help consumers make the transition to EVs.

Gas and diesel-powered vehicles are the largest contributors to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and a large proportion of urban air pollution in the US. Switching to electric vehicles makes for a quiet and clean ride with zero tailpipe emissions and a fraction of the maintenance since there are so few moving parts.

The EV Club of CT will be showcasing Tesla models X, S and 3, a Chevy Volt, a Nissan Leaf and a BMWi3 to help guests learn about electric cars on the market, how easy and convenient they are to maintain, how much fun they are to drive, what smart and autonomous features each offers, and how to charge them at home and on the road.

Incentives from the state and federal government can significantly reduce the cost of a new EV (purchase/lease) and many affordable used electric cars are now on the market, including the Certified Pre-Owned BMWi3 being showcased.

Written by Sarah Donavan

Reducing Carbon Emissions

I am a global warming alarmist, and as such, it would be specious of me not to take action to reduce my carbon footprint.  So . . . I hang my laundry outside (as long as it will get above freezing). I set my thermostat to 65°. My major appliances are set to run on electric off-peak hours, including my whole house fan, which is my only form of air conditioning. Believe it or not, there are immediate benefits to these actions.  My husband’s gym clothes smell wonderful, I keep moving in the winter and I structure my days around a late day swim in the summer.  Additionally, the monetary result of using mostly off-peak power is that we pay less to the utility company! The only carbon reduction resolution that has cramped my style: my rule of thumb not to drive anywhere unless I can accomplish three things.

As my most recent car reaches the end of its viable life (10 years and counting), I am excited to acquire an all-electric car. Since I have always driven Audi, I reserved my all-electric vehicle the night of the Audi e-tron launch party.  While waiting for my new e-tron to arrive, I gave thought to how I was going to charge this car.  What made me decide to install a “solar system” was an article I read in Popular Mechanics that said the fastest payback for solar roof panels was to use the power to charge an electric vehicle.  This is logical to me, as gas is a more expensive source of energy than electricity or heating oil.  The added benefit: charging my car on electrons from the sun will be carbon neutral.

Moving Beyond an EV

We had other objectives as well.  After experiencing 6 powerless days in the wake of Sandy, we wanted an emergency backup system, and we knew that we might not always be home during the day to take advantage of the sun.  We approached Solar City and sized a Power Wall and solar panel system to meet our bare bones needs, both for the house and “generator” (the power walls). The only bummer: we must power the Level Two charger that we installed from the grid, as the power draw will overwhelm the solar and battery system.  But most of our day-to-day electric car charging needs can be addressed with Level One charging, which we can get from the solar cells.

While looking into all these options, we were lucky enough to come across the Electric Vehicle Club, where we are able to compare notes and get up to date information from other club members who are also convinced that electric cars are the way of the future. Many members have their own path toward sustainability, and it is great to hear the new ideas! Many members have had their electric cars for years and it is great to hear that they are still enthusiastic.

We have almost completed installation, and my e-tron is on its way! The Tesla installers were clean, courteous, and professional. I look forward to updating the saga with facts and figures once we get an idea of how the system runs.

How to Sell an Electric Vehicle

One of the local automobile dealers once told me that the best way to sell an EV was to take it one customer at a time. Let the prospective customer take it for a test drive that might last a day or even a weekend. De-mystify the vehicle and the experience of charging. The most important thing is to let the driving experience speak for itself. Until people actually use them, they don’t realize how much fun they are to drive and how easy they are to use.

Of course, for this test drive scenario to happen, the customer has to already be at the dealership. But taking this concept a step further is the strategy behind the national series of Electric Car Guest Drive events staged by the publisher of Electric Car Insider to extend the reach of EV sampling to a larger public. In these events, EV owners allow members of the public to take a short test drive of their vehicle with the owner in the passenger seat. It allows for a free-flowing, informal, and friendly discussion about how to drive the car, the ins and outs of charging, and the EV driving experience in general.

Electric Vehicle Guest Drive

The EV Club of CT participated in one of these Electric Car Guest Drive events on May 16th and 18th. The 2-day event was held in Pearl River, NY at the offices of Orange and Rockland Utilities, which sponsored it. (Utilities realize that they are the new “gas stations.”)

Approximately 500 people attended over the two days with about half of them taking test drives. There were 12-15 cars available each day with drives conducted on a 1.3-mile pre-planned course. The vehicle makes represented included Tesla, Chevrolet, BMW, Mitsubishi, Mercedes Benz, and Audi. There were both battery electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid models. Based on my informal observation, the vehicle that got the most attention was the Tesla Model 3.

Personal Experience

As an owner and a newbie at this guest-drive thing, I admittedly approached the event with a little trepidation over allowing strangers to use my vehicle. Every other EV showcase I have attended (and I will cop to the fact that there have been way too many) either did not involve test drives (most of them), or had test drives offered by a limited number of participating dealers or Tesla reps. Given that this format has no sales pressure and a lot of EV owners present, there were many more people able to get behind the wheel.

I have been plugging in since 2012 and have lots to say about driving electric. Even 10 or so years into the modern EV era, we’re still considered early adopters and tend to be an enthusiastic bunch, champing at the bit for EV sales to get moving up that S-Curve. I had to restrain myself so that the test drivers could ask questions and I could get a sense of what they knew and what their pre-conceptions were. With respect to the Chevy Volt I was driving, many people still don’t understand the concept of a plug-in series hybrid. They were surprised at how much gas it saves and that its ride is closer to a Tesla than a Prius. These interactions turned out to be a lot of fun, and I get to opine on which options I think are worthwhile without having to worry about a sales manager looking over my shoulder. Interestingly, I also fielded a number of questions about buying a used EV, an important component of market growth.

Does It Work?

All of which leads to the big question: do these events accelerate adoption? Apparently, they do. In a big way. According to ECI publisher, Chris Alan, 30% of those taking a test drive purchase an EV within 6 months. (We’re not saying what we put in the lemonade.)

There will be more of these events coming to a city near you. Stay tuned!